


I shall stand in seas of snow

by ThatOnePlatypus



Series: Deep space and distant stars [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Kirigakure | Hidden Mist Village, Space AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 16:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17943593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOnePlatypus/pseuds/ThatOnePlatypus
Summary: Stopping on Yuki on the way back from their mission isn’t so much a choice as it is a necessity. Zabuza personally would prefer to stop on a moon with better climate and actual civilization, but the other option is Terumi, and well.Between constant snow and ice, and lava pits and corrosive water, Zabuza will take the snow.





	I shall stand in seas of snow

**Author's Note:**

> Have I told the timeline to go fuck itself? Yes, I have. I've got ninjas in space, if I want to make my own, personal, better timeline, then I will.  
> (Having read "First I think I lost myself", aka the Rin and Uzu part, will give you more hints about what is mentioned in this one)  
> Enjoy!

Stopping on Yuki on the way back from their mission isn’t so much a choice as it is a necessity. Zabuza personally would prefer to stop on a moon with better climate and actual civilization, but the other option is Terumi, and well.

Between constant snow and ice, and lava pits and corrosive water, Zabuza will take the snow.

Ameyuri is in no shape to complain. Her sickness took a turn for the worse just as they were heading back, and Zabuza isn’t about to force her to navigate the tumultuous skies of their galaxy when she’s not even coherent enough to give Kiba shape.

It’s easier than he expects to find a landing spot, on a snow field near what looks like a convenient cave formation. Zabuza brings them to the ground, Kubikiribocho settling easily on the ice. Grabbing Ameyuri roughly, Zabuza swings her onto his shoulder and absently raises a hand.

With a flash of light, Kubikiribocho dismantles and reforms, from ship to sword in an instant.

Fellow swordsman of Kiri on one shoulder, and his faithful bonded weapon on the other, Zabuza quickly sets out towards the caves. It’s not snowing much, allowing him enough visibility, but he’d rather not stay out anyway. Who knows how quickly the weather changes around here? He’d rather not get caught in a snow storm.

As expected, the cave is mostly ice, and thus is very cold, when Zabuza reaches it with his cargo. Warmer than outside though, with no biting wind to infiltrate his protective uniform. Better than out there in the snow, and much better than out in the open space where they’d be sitting ducks for anyone with enough stupidity and greed to try to fight them. Zabuza is a good fighter, and he trusts Kubikiribocho with his life, but he’s no protector, and Ameyuri is in no shape to fight and needs rest besides.

The cave will have to do, cold as it is.

Setting Ameyuri down near the wall, far enough from the entrance, Zabuza puts away Kubikiribocho with a flash of light, then grabs his storage scroll. It’s the matter of a few seconds to find a heavy enough blanket and to drop it on Ameyuri’s unconscious form. Next are food, and a source of warmth. Not foolish enough to light a fire in an ice-cave, Zabuza grabs a star-lantern.

Soon, there’s a gentle glow and subtle warmth coming from the floating orb of light, and Zabuza finally lets himself relax a little.

Ameyuri is safe, no one followed them, and this is a surprisingly good spot to rest for a while. It’s not like there’s anyone around to cause trouble either, given their location.

As if to prove him wrong, that’s the moment that someone chooses to peek out of behind a stalagmite formation, deeper in the cave. Zabuza blinks, staring right at the intruder, disbelief rising in his gut. What are the _odds_ of him choosing the only cave around that are actually occupied by a-

By a _child_?

Zabuza doesn’t call out Kubikiribocho, although it’s a near thing.

“Who the fuck are you?” He calls out gruffly.

The kid, clearly one that has guts, or maybe is lacking a few brain cells, doesn’t answer, simply staring at him some more. It takes Zabuza an embarrassingly long moment to realize that maybe the kid doesn’t actually speak the language he’s using – children often learn their local dialects before they learn any of the main ones.

He’s about to try and reformulate his question, hoping against hope that if the kid doesn’t speak Kiri’s language he’ll at least speak the common speak of Water – because Zabuza certainly doesn’t speak any Yuki – when the kid shifts a bit more into view, and answers.

“My name is Haku,” he answers, his simple words made melodic by his lilting accent. “Who are _you?_ ”

“Momochi Zabuza,” Zabuza replies. He doubts the kid knows who he is, or even knows about the Momochi clan. They’re just a small family from the Kiri mainland, after all.

“That’s a strange name,” the boy points out.

Zabuza arches a brow at the ballsy kid. As if anyone whose name means _white_ has any leg to stand on, given they are on a _snow_ planet.

“Where are your parents, kid?” He asks, instead of asking if their names are just as unoriginal.

“Dead,” Haku says, and well. No amount of enchanting accent or innocent face is going to take away from the bluntness of that answer. “Are you here to kill me, too?”

“No,” Zabuza snorts. Stares at the boy flatly, “Do you want me to kill you?”

“Not really, no,” Haku says. “But then why are you here?”

“Needed a place to rest,” Zabuza says.

Haku hums, and comes entirely out from behind his hiding place. He sits down there, his plain, tattered clothes barely illuminated by the star-lantern’s glow. Zabuza watches him warily for a moment longer, taking in how small and thin the boy looks, underneath those clothes.

It shouldn’t take so much effort to turn away, snorting at himself.

This isn’t his problem. If he cared for every poor kid he came across, he’d get nowhere and would get nothing done either. He’s a swordsman, a warrior, not an orphanage matron.

Pointedly not looking at the kid, Zabuza leans on the cave wall near Ameyuri, and lets the star-lantern’s soft warmth lull him into a quiet doze.

 

 

 

“You know, getting attached is stupid,” Ameyuri tells him, on the fifth day of their stay on Yuki. She looks much better now, and barely coughs anymore when she breathes. “It’s not like we can take the kid along on the trip back home.”

Zabuza grunts, watching Haku from his spot inside the cave. In the last five days, the boy had proved incredibly useful – unlike him or Ameyuri, he actually knows the place, and where to find food. He’s also seemingly impervious to the cold, always happy to venture outside to run after snow rabbits.

Even Ameyuri, who wouldn’t know the word cute if it hit her over the head, has grown rather fond of him. She’ll deny it, but Zabuza knows her. Haku, for all that he looks cute and innocent, can also be very bluntly insulting and has no fear of anything in him. Ameyuri has a very, _very_ small soft spot in her heart for people with an actual spine, and Haku's is apparently made of steel.

The idea of leaving the kid alone on this deserted, cold ice sphere of a moon sits wrong in Zabuza’s stomach.

Something in his face must give that away, because Ameyuri snorts and grabs him. Zabuza slaps her hand off his shoulder, but she gets in his face, sharp teeth bared in a nasty smirk.

“What are you even intending to do?” She taunts. “Smuggle him in Kubikiribocho with you?”

“It’s big enough to fit both me and your ass,” Zabuza reminds her, and bares his teeth right back, “The kid is small enough to fit right in.”

Ameyuri laughs, sharp and amused – right until the point where she realizes he’s being serious.

“Don’t be _stupid!_ ” She snarls, smirk melting right off her face. “You _can’t_!” She gestures at the snow outside, where Haku is running barefoot, laughing. “Look at him! A blind man could tell that he was born here! And you know what will happen to him if Yagura learns of his existence!”

Zabuza knows. He might have been young when the Mizukage snapped, when Kiri’s fleets were turned on their own people, but not _that_ young.

“Well then, everything will be fine as long as he doesn’t,” he says, meeting her furious glare squarely.

“You want me to _lie_ to my Mizukage?” Ameyuri says. She snarls again, fingers clenching as if wishing for Kiba to skewer him with. “Where is your loyalty to Kiri?”

“My loyalty _is_ to Kiri,” Zabuza snarls right back, the accusation cutting. “But can you say, honestly say, where _Yagura’s_ loyalty lies? Not with us, that’s for sure!”

Ameyuri hisses, as if scalded, eyes narrowing further. There’s caution in her tone, when she speaks next, shining even through the sharpness of her voice.

“You’re talking treason,” she warns him.

Zabuza snorts.

Once upon a time, Yagura was a good Mizukage, one that promised change for the better. He had abolished ancient laws that were killing them all. Had bettered the caste system. Had brought peace for a while, even.

Right before the next intergalactic war was declared, and the Elder Beats of Three Tails was stolen.

Zabuza knows nothing of Elder Beasts, not even the two that were once hidden in Water galaxy, but even he knows that it takes a formidable mind to have one of them in your head all the time. He can’t even _begin_ to guess what losing that connection does to you.

All he knows is that one day the three rings around Kiri had vanished, the Elder Beast hidden there gone without a trace.

Yagura has never been the same since.

“Is it treason,” Zabuza says with a grim smile, “If the Mizukage lost his sanity long ago? One could argue he’s not even the same person we pledged to anymore.”

Ameyuri doesn’t reply, cursing under her breath and looking out to the snow field. Haku has managed to catch one of the snow rabbits, and is hugging it to his chest, looking delighted. The boy looks their way, and hesitantly waves at them.

Gruffly, Zabuza raises a hand in response, and Haku’s expression lights up. He goes right back to playing with the rabbits, looking so much happier than on that first day.

Living on this frozen hellscape with little to no company can’t be good for anyone.

“I know nothing,” Ameyuri says suddenly. Gives him a sharp glare when he arches a brow at her, and snarls, “Don’t think of dragging me into your messes, Momochi. I want no part in whatever you intend to do in the future about those treasonous thoughts you have.” She shakes her head, and adds darkly. “If anyone asks me, I was unconscious the whole way from Hoozuki to the asteroid belt. I slept through our stop on Yuki-”

“There was no stop on Yuki at all, in fact,” Zabuza says, and grins at her.

Ameyuri barks out a sharp laugh, amused despite herself, and gives him a friendly nudge – or her version of it, which would have made a lesser man crash sideways into the snow with the force of it.

“Right,” she says, “I slept the whole way, so I wouldn’t know. You picked up a stray at some point, for whatever reason. I don’t know shit about it.”

“Sure,” Zabuza agrees. He doesn’t thank her, because that would be _mushy_ and for all that Ameyuri has been teasing him about being a secret softy he actually _isn’t_ , but he knocks her shoulder with his, and offers. “If you ever want to visit us, I’m sure Haku will be delighted.”

“Ergh, no,” Ameyuri says, expression twisting into a disgusted grimace. “I’d rather die.”

Fair enough.

 

 

 

Kisame gives up on proper decorum the moment Zabuza and Ameyuri leave, Zabuza’s new ‘apprentice’ trailing behind them like a lost puppy. It’s a strange thing, to see his fellow swordsman with a cute kid, and he can’t help the laugh that comes out.

“Who knew he was such a softy,” Kisame muses, grinning. He turns towards Yagura, and adds, “I’m surprised you let them get away with such a shoddy excuse. The kid is obviously not just any stray they picked up.”

“No,” a voice from behind the blank-faced Mizukage agrees. A man steps out, shadows clinging to his very steps like dark mist. “But it’s of no incidence. One small child will make no difference, in the end.”

“If you say so, boss,” Kisame says. Absently calls Sameheda to him, and leans on the hilt with a sharp grin, “What’s the plan, then?”

The man doesn’t answer just yet, clearly lost in though, and Kisame lets him be. In the corner, Yagura stands, eyes empty, face devoid of life or emotion. Kisame doesn’t like to stare at him, this puppet of a man who has no freedom, no soul anymore, so he doesn’t.

Instead, he lets his gaze linger on the puppeteer behind everything. In the dark office, the holomask hiding his features glows a soft orange. Such a cheerful colour, fully at odds with the one who wears it. Kisame wonders if it was the goal – to unnerve and to deceive – or if the Uchiha truly likes it.

One day, Kisame hopes he’ll find out the answer.

“The Three Tail still hasn’t been found, which puts a dent in the plan,” the man suddenly speaks, sounding as though he’s thinking aloud. It’s something that Kisame appreciates, if only for the honesty of it, “Without it, I’m not sure we can move on to the final phase.”

“We’ll find it,” Kisame says, and grins when the man turns to him. “Don’t you have minions searching?”

“I do,” the Uchiha says, a single red eye glowing ominously through the hologram. Pauses, and then says, “You are right. It’s only a matter of time before we find where it has gone to hide. The other Elder Beasts are still around, waiting in plain sight for us to take. Capturing them will take a while, and give us time to find the last one. Which reminds me…”

Kisame straightens when that single red eyes pins him down, anticipation making a chill run down his spine.

“It seems the host of the Elder Beast of Four Tails has gone off on his own, leaving the protection of Earth Galaxy,” the man says. “It’s time for you to hunt down your prey.”

Kisame grins.

“Of course, boss.”


End file.
